Rock-gatherer.



D. B. HANNAN.

ROCK GATHERER.

APPLIoATmN 111.1111 JULY 31, 1913.

Patented NovQlO, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

l] `jffIk/Cffcw?./7-7/7 @M1/ NVENTOR WITNESSES D. B. HANNAN. 1100KGATHERER.`

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31, 1913.

Patented Nov. 1o, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ff y /3 .jf/mmm WJTNESSES NVENTOR mw y;

WY Ami@ D. B. HANNAfN.

BOOK GATHEBEB.

APPLICATION FILED JULY s1. 191s.

1,1 16,885. Patented Nov. 1o, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES [NVE T0 y which like reference c f which,

l x4, and

TED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

DENNIS B. HANNAN, OF GRAVETTE, ARKANSAS, ASSIG-NOB 0F ONE-THIRD vI OJOHN A. NEWHOUSE AND ONE-THIRD T0 JOSEPH A. BOECKER, 0F PARSONS,KANSAS.`

ROClK-GATHEREB.

Application med vJ'uly 81, 1913. Serial Noi/782,219.

T0 all 'whom t may concern x Be it known that I, DENNIS B. HANNAN, acitizen of the United States, 'residing at Gravette, in the county ofBenton and State 5 of Arkansas, have invented certain 'new andusefulImprovements in -Rock-Gatherers; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as willenable others skilled in 10 the art to which it appertains to make andto each of the sides is secured a finger 11,

use the same.

This invention relates to farming imple- `ments and more particularly toa machine. for removing rocks from the ground, orfor. harvestingpotatoes or other crops which grow in the ground.' l

One of the principal objects of my invention is toxpiovide a machineofthe class described which will gather rocks, and deposit the same in awagon or other carrier.l

Another object of my invention-is to provide a machine embodying meansfor gathering rocks which may be of different. depths in the SOiL l.

A further object of my invention `is to provide a machine of the classdescribed which willjbe. simple, durable, e'icient in operation, andinexpensive to manufacture.,

With'V these and other objects, the invention consists in theconstruction, combina-` tion and arrangement of parts, hereinaftermorefully described and claimed and illus- 4 trated in the accompanyingdrawings, in

aracters indicate like parts throughout' the several views,l 'and inFigure 1, represents -a vertical sectional view taken onthe line 1 1 ofFig. 2. Fig.

2, represents; a bottom plan view f thema-` tional view of' one .oftheshoe carrying bars, Fig. @represents a top plan view of'a p0r- V tion ofthe drum and fingers secured thereon, 15

'a substantially' rectangular frame V1,-ofangle iron orvothersuitablematerial, saidframe 'comprising lower horizontal bars2, `upperhorizontalbars, vertical corner -bars cross bars 5;' Vidle.front-ends ofthe flowerhorizontal bars 2, are offset as at, saidfblz'set' portions being belowthe ,plane1 of the rearv end of said bars-"2. Jou-rnagled chine, asection'being takenon the'line of Fig. 5. Fig. 3, representsaside-elevesv in brackets 7, on the bars crosswise of the frame, is ashaft 8, which is adapted to rotate in said journals and which hassecured thereto, near opposite sides of the frame, a pair of disks orwheels 9, and

Snecirwl 0f Letters Patent Patented Nov. 10, 1914. 2, andv extendingthese wheels are connected by means of a drum 10, which encircles theshaft 8 between the wheels. Secured at spaced intervals on' the. drum10, are a plurality of blocksV 11", whlch are six sided on their outeredges and 'formed of-a bar of metal. Thev inner end of each nger abutsagainst the iinger immediately to the 'rear of it, and the outer ends ofthe ngers are on `a line with the Vouter periphery of the wheels 9.-Pivoted near opposite ends ofthe shaft 8, and between the wheels 9 andthe horizontal bars 2, are the forward ends of shoe supporting bars 12,saidbars supporting at their middle points a shaft 13, to which areindependently pivoted a plurality of shoe Shanks 14, which are formedintegral with shoes 15, adapted to vengage the earth for gatheringrocksA as the machine travels `along. Each of the shoes 15, ispositioned in one of the 'spaces 16 between the ngers 11, so that' assaid fingers revolve, they may engage the rocks uprooted by the shoes15, as shown in Fig. 1.

VThe rear ends'of the bars`-12 are-turned ownwardly and support a crossbar 17,- tov which are secured the lower ends of a plurality of springs18, the u per ends of said springs being secured in ividua'lly to therear ends of the shoe AShanks 14, said rear ends being bent at an angleto said Shanks,"

to extend rearwardly therefrom.

A cross board 1 9, is secured on the frame centrally of the upperhorizontal bars -3 thereof, and said board supports'a drivers seat 20,and aV toothed segment 21,' to which is pivoted a bell crankv lever 22,thearm 23, ofwhichis engaged by means of a link -24: lto the vcentralportion of the'shaft 13, whereby when said bell crank lever is rocked,the shoes 15 may be raised orl lowered.' The usual do 25, is provided'onthe lever 22, whereby t e shoes 15 may be "held 'at any predetermineddepth by raising or lowering the bars 12, on their-pivot. The

the wheels 9, so that a space is-leftbetfween secured, is spacedsomewhat to the-rearof iid Yao

shaft 26.

may be gathered on the lingers. A countershaft 26 is secured by bracketsto one of the lower horizontal bars 2 of the frame, and this shaftcarries a pinion 27 which is geared with a beveled wheel 28 carried byone end of the shaft 8. The shaft 26, is provided with a pair ofsprocket wheels, one of which is adapted to actuate a conveyer shaft 29,by means of a chain 30, said shaft 29, being journaled in brackets 31,secured to one ofbrackets 31, and that shaft 36 carries one end of anelevator belt 38, the opposite ,end

is carried by a shaft 39, in the upper end of the elevator 35. Crossbars 40, are provided o`n the belt 38, and certain of said cross barshave plates 41, secured thereto for holding stones as the same arecarried upward to be delivered in a wagon or other carrier 42. Theelevator is braced by means of rods 43, secured at one end to theelevator sides and at the opposite end to the frame of the machine. i.sprocket wheel actuated by a chain 44,' which runs over one of thesprocket wheels on Secured centrally of the forward cross bar 5, of theframe, is a substantially U- shaped bracket 45 under the forward endofwhich is pivoted a disk or wheel 46, which carries brackets 47,between the lower ends of which is journaled a front wheel 48, forguiding the machine, and a tongue v49, is bolted to the disk 46, saidtongue adapted to have draft animals hitched thereto.

Above the rear edge of the conveyer 33, and

secured to the frame of the machine, is a chute 50, having end walls andan inclined bottom 51, adapted-to guide stones on to the conveyer asthey are delivered from the lingers 11l of the machine, and a board 52,is secured to the'frame to prevent the stones from rolling olf of theconveyer.

As the machine is drawnover the ground, the shoes 15, will disengage thestones from the soil and as the fingers revolve on the axle 8, they willengage the stones, and as the lingers assume an upright position intraveling about their axis, the stones will be deposited in the pocketsformed by the adjacent fingers as illustrated in Fig. 1, until as thefingers are further rotated, the rocks Will be deposited through thechute V50, on tothe conveyer 33 from which they will be deposited on totheY elevator 35, which will The shaft 39 carries a in turn' depositthem into the carrier.l In

practice, the fingers will be spaced about.

two inches apart, audit will be evident that any stones less than twoinches in length, will fall out through the spaces left between -thefingers, as will also the dirt or other foreign matter, only such stonesas are greater than two inches in length, being retained on the lingers,will be deposited on Ato the conveyer.

It is of course to be understood that. the dimensions of the machine areoptional, and that the distance which the lingers will be set apart,depends upon the nature of the -soil to be treated.

Should any stones too large to be accommodated, be encountered by theshoes, the latter may be raised by means of the lever 22, so as to allowthe shoes to pass over such stones, without injury to the machine. By

reason of the springs 18, the shoes will have a give as the stones areengaged, and thus there will be no danger ofthe Shanks being brokenduring the operation of the machine.`

` While I have described the machine as` adapted for gathering rocks, itiis evident that it may be used as a potato harvester or harvester ofother cropswhich grow in the soil, the uses to which the machine may beput being optional of its user.

Although 1 have described the preferred embodiment of my invention, Imay desire to make such changes in the construction, combination andarrangement of parts as do not depart from the spirit of the inven-Ation and the scope ofthe appended claims.

YHaving thus fully described my inven-l tion, what I cla-im as new anddesire to secure by Letters-'Patent is:

1. A machine of the class described providing a frame, an axle journaledtherein', supporting bars journaled on said axle, shoes carriedl by saidsupporting bars and adapted' .to engage rocks in the soil, springconnections between said shoes and supporting bars, means carriedon saidaxle fordepositing the rocks on to a conveyer, and means 'for raisingand lowering said shoes.

2. A machine of the class described comprising an axle, a shaftjournaled therein,

supporting bars pivoted on said axle, a shaft carried by said supportingbars, shoe Shanks independently pivoted on said shaft, shoes carried bysaid Shanks, a crossbar carried by said supporting bars, springs securedat one end to said Shanks and at the opposite lend to said cross bar,spaced ingers carried byv said axle, said shoes situated at the spacesbetween said fingers, and means for raising and lowering said shoes.

Y 3. 'In a device of the character described,i .the 'combmationof apicking device comprising ,la frame, a transverse shaft journaledthereon, a drum encircling said shaft, approximately hexagonal blocksmounted upon said drum, fingers attached to said blocks, the rear end ofsaid fingers meeting the face of the succeeding finger, a secondtransverse shaft mounted upon said frame, independent and looselymounted Shanks having integral shoesthereto mounted upon said secondtransverse shaft, said shank and shoes running in spaced parallelismtojthe periphery of said fingers, said shoesloosening them; and aplurality of springs, one

ing stones or the like and said pickers lift? presence of

